


Keeping Your Balance

by hellafandom



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sappy, Skateboard AU, Slow Build, Youtube AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-25
Updated: 2019-01-24
Packaged: 2019-10-15 21:21:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17536493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hellafandom/pseuds/hellafandom
Summary: Brought together by a mix of lack of driver's licenses and/or a need for car free transportation; Taako Magnus and Merle became unlikely friends through the skate shop they all frequent. While things are generally calm with a mix of board games and watching hockey together and arguing about who can make the best dip, Lucretia has an inkling that with all of them in the same place things could get hectic quickly. She just wishes that things would progress a little faster so she would know how many people she could expect at her Candlenights dinner.





	Keeping Your Balance

The sound of the bell above the door to the shop was almost unheard above the chatter between the customer and shop owner inside. 

“Listen Magnus, I keep telling you you can’t take Davenport to skateboard with you.” 

“I keep telling you it would be safe!”

“No Magnus, he’s too small and I rather him stay with me than have him running who knows where with you.”

“Lucretia please, it would be fine I promise.” 

“Just to move to an apartment complex that allows dogs.”

As Magnus groaned, Taako coughed softly and interjected “Lucretia.” 

She turned towards him and smiled gently. “Taako, have you come in for a new set of wheels?”

He grinned and glided over to the counter on his roller skates. “Not today, I’m waiting for the new release from Burnout wheels, you’ve seen them right? The multicolored ones?”

She nodded and moved a small yorkie from her lap to the counter so that she could wheel over to her desk and make a note in her ledger. “I’ll let Leon know so we get them on time. Any preference for color?”

“Oh surprise me!” 

Magnus grinned and punched Taako gently in the shoulder. “How goes it buddy, still on the internet all day every day?”

“Wheels and Meals goes on my dude! Uploaded to YouTube two times a week as per usual. What about it big guy, what’s the next big project?” 

“Right now? The usual orders for chairs and what not, some new decks to play around with, a yorkie sized skateboard.”

“I’m not going to let you Magnus!” Lucretia shouted across the shop.

Magnus smiled and leaned in a little closer to Taako. “I’m working on Lucretia’s Candlenights present but that one is staying a secret.”

“Won’t even tell your good buddy what it is?”

“Not until I know I can pull it off. Until then help me convince her to let me skateboard with Davenport.”

Taako put his hand on Magnus’s shoulder and shook his head. “Listen, that dog never leaves her side. You gotta move somewhere that allows you to have pets that aren’t fish.” 

Magnus grumbled. “If you’re not gonna be on my side I bet Merle is.”

Lucretia rolled her eyes “Magnus give it a rest. When is the last time you’ve seen that man anyways?”

Taako scoffed, “I lose to him in checkers all the time. Besides, we like to talk about vegetables together. One day he’ll let me into his exclusive gardening club for old single men that like to play cards.”

“Sure he will Taako” She smiled “Just like one day him and Drew will fly off to a deserted island together and do nothing but play Extreme Teen Chess”

“Don’t put it past them” Magnus piped up “Either way, its been good to chat but I have to head back to my shop and finish up some projects.” He gave Davenport a pat on the head before picking up his longboard and heading for the door “See y’all around!” 

Taako stayed around a little longer, chatting with Lucretia about cookie baking and some of the new faces that had been around her shop recently. As always he left with a flourish and a quick, “Bye darling!”

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Taako skated down the street he passed by the skatepark and waved to some of the people he recognized, stopping to encourage some of the younger kids learning to find their way on wheels. Angus appeared to finally be past what the young boy had described as ‘bike riding theory’ and onto ‘practical applications.’ Therefore he had several layers of padding on and a face of pure determination as he gripped the handlebars of his bike, feet still planted firmly on the ground.

Cruising to a stop next to him, Taako put a hand on his shoulder “Hey kid, how does it?”

“Pretty good, sir! My ride time record is 37 seconds even.”

“Not bad, lambchop. Remember, you have to keep moving to keep your balance.”

“But if I’m moving then I have a higher chance of falling.”

“Don't be scared boyo, falling's part of the game. It’s how you learn what **not** to do next time.”

Angus nodded and got back on his bike, moving forward a little shakily and then gaining some speed before slowing down and stumbling to a stop again. “One day!” He chirped, pulling a beat up notebook out of his pocket and scribbling something down.

Taako patted Angus on the helmet. “You’ll get there and ride with the best of us. I gotta keep movin’ today but I’ll see you around.” 

He wished he could stay and help Angus even more but sadly he had some errands to finish running before he headed back home to his flat. Lucretia really had a soft spot for the kid, but so did he and so did Magnus and Merle. None of them had ever seen him with any parents and even though the park was safe for kids kids aren’t supposed to be taking care of themselves. He wasn’t the adult right now that could take care of Angus all the time but he could help out as much as he could. Even if that was only a little bit. 

Shifting focus from wayward boys to his cooking plans for later, he continued thinking to himself as he skated back to his flat. Living on the first floor gave him the luxury to skate in and out of his own house as he pleased, especially when going on short trips for groceries for his videos like today. He put the ingredients he’d grabbed in the fridge, settling them in alongside leftovers that Magnus and Merle hadn’t had the chance to steal and eat yet. With how often he filmed sometimes the leftovers would pile up but he didn’t mind, there was always someone to come by and help him clear out his fridge when he needed them too.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Across town, Magnus was sitting in his shop and finishing off the details on a custom jewelry cabinet. The order had come in online, sketched out and detailed but he had no idea who was coming to pick it up. Whoever it was for obviously had very specific tastes as it had many compartments and the decorations consisted of flowers and flames. After carving in the last detail, he cleaned off the dust and covered it, planning to add the varnishing tomorrow. He wasn't due to finish it for a few weeks but he liked working on the custom orders that were as interesting as his own passion projects. Cleaning off his bench of tiny wood shavings, he pulled out the plan he had been sketching for a new combo dog bed and lap rest for Davenport, Lucretia’s little yorkie. As much as he joked about wanting to skateboard with the little guy he knew that she was very protective of him and he didn't want to upset her by pressing the issue, even if the activity was very safe. She had named him after her close friend, Drew, who helped her out around the house when she needed it and had almost grown up with her by the sound of it. He wanted there to be a safer way for him to hang out on her lap when she was moving around the shop or when she wanted to take him outdoors. The plan was to make the bed look like it was made of mini skateboards and to be able to securely rest on the sides of her chair. The only issue would be getting the sizing correctly but he was sure he could find a way around it.  


After spending some more time puzzling over and fine tuning his own design as well as packing up some small online orders of figurines to be shipped the next day, Magnus called it quits for the day and did a final clean of the workshop. Locking up, he fired off another text to Merle. While his plea for the old man to help him convince Lucretia to let him teach Davenport to skateboard had been ignored, an invitation to come watch hockey with him that night was sure to get a response. After all, the Ugly Pucklings were playing against the Phantoms and Magnus had been planning to order pizza. If anything, it’d be nice for there to be somewhere there other than himself and Steven.

**Author's Note:**

> davenport isn't just a dog i promise


End file.
